Executive Order 13514—Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance

October 5, 2009

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and to establish an integrated strategy towards sustainability in the Federal Government and to make reduction of greenhouse gas emissions a priority for Federal agencies, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1.Policy. In order to create a clean energy economy that will increase our Nation's prosperity, promote energy security, protect the interests of taxpayers, and safeguard the health of our environment, the Federal Government must lead by example. It is therefore the policy of the United States that Federal agencies shall increase energy efficiency; measure, report, and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions from direct and indirect activities; conserve and protect water resources through efficiency, reuse, and stormwater management; eliminate waste, recycle, and prevent pollution; leverage agency acquisitions to foster markets for sustainable technologies and environmentally preferable materials, products, and services; design, construct, maintain, and operate high performance sustainable buildings in sustainable locations; strengthen the vitality and livability of the communities in which Federal facilities are located; and inform Federal employees about and involve them in the achievement of these goals.

It is further the policy of the United States that to achieve these goals and support their respective missions, agencies shall prioritize actions based on a full accounting of both economic and social benefits and costs and shall drive continuous improvement by annually evaluating performance, extending or expanding projects that have net benefits, and reassessing or discontinuing under-performing projects.

Finally, it is also the policy of the United States that agencies' efforts and outcomes in implementing this order shall be transparent and that agencies shall therefore disclose results associated with the actions taken pursuant to this order on publicly available Federal websites.

Sec. 2.Goals for Agencies. In implementing the policy set forth in section 1 of this order, and preparing and implementing the Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan called for in section 8 of this order, the head of each agency shall:

(a) within 90 days of the date of this order, establish and report to the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ Chair) and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB Director) a percentage reduction target for agency-wide reductions of scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions in absolute terms by fiscal year 2020, relative to a fiscal year 2008 baseline of the agency's scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions. Where appropriate, the target shall exclude direct emissions from excluded vehicles and equipment and from electric power produced and sold commercially to other parties in the course of regular business. This target shall be subject to review and approval by the CEQ Chair in consultation with the OMB Director under section 5 of this order. In establishing the target, the agency head shall consider reductions associated with:

(C) reducing, if the agency operates a fleet of at least 20 motor vehicles, the agency fleet's total consumption of petroleum products by a minimum of 2 percent annually through the end of fiscal year 2020, relative to a baseline of fiscal year 2005;

(b) within 240 days of the date of this order and concurrent with submission of the Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan as described in section 8 of this order, establish and report to the CEQ Chair and the OMB Director a percentage reduction target for reducing agency-wide scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions in absolute terms by fiscal year 2020, relative to a fiscal year 2008 baseline of agency scope 3 emissions. This target shall be subject to review and approval by the CEQ Chair in consultation with the OMB Director under section 5 of this order. In establishing the target, the agency head shall consider reductions associated with:

(i) pursuing opportunities with vendors and contractors to address and incorporate incentives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (such as changes to manufacturing, utility or delivery services, modes of transportation used, or other changes in supply chain activities);

(ii) implementing strategies and accommodations for transit, travel, training, and conferencing that actively support lower-carbon commuting and travel by agency staff;

(iii) greenhouse gas emission reductions associated with pursuing other relevant goals in this section; and

(c) establish and report to the CEQ Chair and OMB Director a comprehensive inventory of absolute greenhouse gas emissions, including scope 1, scope 2, and specified scope 3 emissions (i) within 15 months of the date of this order for fiscal year 2010, and (ii) thereafter, annually at the end of January, for the preceding fiscal year.

(d) improve water use efficiency and management by:

(i) reducing potable water consumption intensity by 2 percent annually through fiscal year 2020, or 26 percent by the end of fiscal year 2020, relative to a baseline of the agency's water consumption in fiscal year 2007, by implementing water management strategies including water-efficient and low-flow fixtures and efficient cooling towers;

(ii) reducing agency industrial, landscaping, and agricultural water consumption by 2 percent annually or 20 percent by the end of fiscal year 2020 relative to a baseline of the agency's industrial, landscaping, and agricultural water consumption in fiscal year 2010;

(iii) consistent with State law, identifying, promoting, and implementing water reuse strategies that reduce potable water consumption; and

(iv) implementing and achieving the objectives identified in the stormwater management guidance referenced in section 14 of this order;

(e) promote pollution prevention and eliminate waste by:

(i) minimizing the generation of waste and pollutants through source reduction;

(ii) diverting at least 50 percent of non-hazardous solid waste, excluding construction and demolition debris, by the end of fiscal year 2015;

(iii) diverting at least 50 percent of construction and demolition materials and debris by the end of fiscal year 2015;

(ii) aligning Federal policies to increase the effectiveness of local planning for energy choices such as locally generated renewable energy;

(iii) ensuring that planning for new Federal facilities or new leases includes consideration of sites that are pedestrian friendly, near existing employment centers, and accessible to public transit, and emphasizes existing central cities and, in rural communities, existing or planned town centers;

(iv) identifying and analyzing impacts from energy usage and alternative energy sources in all Environmental Impact Statements and Environmental Assessments for proposals for new or expanded Federal facilities under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); and

(v) coordinating with regional programs for Federal, State, tribal, and local ecosystem, watershed, and environmental management;

(i) beginning in 2020 and thereafter, ensuring that all new Federal buildings that enter the planning process are designed to achieve zero-net-energy by 2030;

(ii) ensuring that all new construction, major renovation, or repair and alteration of Federal buildings complies with the Guiding Principles for Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings, (Guiding Principles);

(iii) ensuring that at least 15 percent of the agency's existing buildings (above 5,000 gross square feet) and building leases (above 5,000 gross square feet) meet the Guiding Principles by fiscal year 2015 and that the agency makes annual progress toward 100-percent conformance with the Guiding Principles for its building inventory;

(iv) pursuing cost-effective, innovative strategies, such as highly reflective and vegetated roofs, to minimize consumption of energy, water, and materials;

(v) managing existing building systems to reduce the consumption of energy, water, and materials, and identifying alternatives to renovation that reduce existing assets' deferred maintenance costs;

(vi) when adding assets to the agency's real property inventory, identifying opportunities to consolidate and dispose of existing assets, optimize the performance of the agency's real-property portfolio, and reduce associated environmental impacts; and

(vii) ensuring that rehabilitation of federally owned historic buildings utilizes best practices and technologies in retrofitting to promote long-term viability of the buildings;

(a) establish an interagency Steering Committee (Steering Committee) on Federal Sustainability composed of the Federal Environmental Executive, designated under section 6 of Executive Order 13423 of January 24, 2007, and Agency Senior Sustainability Officers, designated under section 7 of this order, and that shall:

(i) serve in the dual capacity of the Steering Committee on Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management designated by the CEQ Chair pursuant to section 4 of Executive Order 13423;

(ii) advise the OMB Director and the CEQ Chair on implementation of this order;

(iii) facilitate the implementation of each agency's Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan; and

(iv) share information and promote progress towards the goals of this order;

(b) enlist the support of other organizations within the Federal Government to assist the Steering Committee in addressing the goals of this order;

(c) establish and disband, as appropriate, interagency subcommittees of the Steering Committee, to assist the Steering Committee in carrying out its responsibilities;

(d) determine appropriate Federal actions to achieve the policy of section 1 and the goals of section 2 of this order;

(e) ensure that Federal agencies are held accountable for conformance with the requirements of this order; and

(f) in coordination with the Department of Energy's Federal Energy Management Program and the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive designated under section 6 of Executive Order 13423, provide guidance and assistance to facilitate the development of agency targets for greenhouse gas emission reductions required under subsections 2(a) and (b) of this order.

Sec. 4. Additional Duties of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. In addition to the duties of the OMB Director specified elsewhere in this order, the OMB Director shall:

(a) review and approve each agency's multi-year Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan under section 8 of this order and each update of the Plan. The Director shall, where feasible, review each agency's Plan concurrently with OMB's review and evaluation of the agency's budget request;

(b) prepare scorecards providing periodic evaluation of Federal agency performance in implementing this order and publish scorecard results on a publicly available website; and

(c) approve and issue instructions to the heads of agencies concerning budget and appropriations matters relating to implementation of this order.

Sec. 5. Additional Duties of the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality. In addition to the duties of the CEQ Chair specified elsewhere in this order, the CEQ Chair shall:

(a) issue guidance for greenhouse gas accounting and reporting required under section 2 of this order;

(b) issue instructions to implement this order, in addition to instructions within the authority of the OMB Director to issue under subsection 4(c) of this order;

(c) review and approve each agency's targets, in consultation with the OMB Director, for agency-wide reductions of greenhouse gas emissions under section 2 of this order;

(d) prepare, in coordination with the OMB Director, streamlined reporting metrics to determine each agency's progress under section 2 of this order;

(e) review and evaluate each agency's multi-year Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan under section 8 of this order and each update of the Plan;

(f) assess agency progress toward achieving the goals and policies of this order, and provide its assessment of the agency's progress to the OMB Director;

(g) within 120 days of the date of this order, provide the President with an aggregate Federal Government-wide target for reducing scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions in absolute terms by fiscal year 2020 relative to a fiscal year 2008 baseline;

(h) within 270 days of the date of this order, provide the President with an aggregate Federal Government-wide target for reducing scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions in absolute terms by fiscal year 2020 relative to a fiscal year 2008 baseline;

(i) establish and disband, as appropriate, interagency working groups to provide recommendations to the CEQ for areas of Federal agency operational and managerial improvement associated with the goals of this order; and

(j) administer the Presidential leadership awards program, established under subsection 4(c) of Executive Order 13423, to recognize exceptional and outstanding agency performance with respect to achieving the goals of this order and to recognize extraordinary innovation, technologies, and practices employed to achieve the goals of this order.

Sec. 6. Duties of the Federal Environmental Executive. The Federal Environmental Executive designated by the President to head the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive, pursuant to section 6 of Executive Order 13423, shall:

(a) identify strategies and tools to assist Federal implementation efforts under this order, including through the sharing of best practices from successful Federal sustainability efforts; and

(b) monitor and advise the CEQ Chair and the OMB Director on the agencies' implementation of this order and their progress in achieving the order's policies and goals.

Sec. 7. Agency Senior Sustainability Officers. (a) Within 30 days of the date of this order, the head of each agency shall designate from among the agency's senior management officials a Senior Sustainability Officer who shall be accountable for agency conformance with the requirements of this order; and shall report such designation to the OMB Director and the CEQ Chair.

(b) The Senior Sustainability Officer for each agency shall perform the functions of the senior agency official designated by the head of each agency pursuant to section 3(d)(i) of Executive Order 13423 and shall be responsible for:

(i) preparing the targets for agency-wide reductions and the inventory of greenhouse gas emissions required under subsections 2(a), (b), and (c) of this order;

(ii) within 240 days of the date of this order, and annually thereafter, preparing and submitting to the CEQ Chair and the OMB Director, for their review and approval, a multi-year Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan (Sustainability Plan or Plan) as described in section 8 of this order;

(iii) preparing and implementing the approved Plan in coordination with appropriate offices and organizations within the agency including the General Counsel, Chief Information Officer, Chief Acquisition Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Senior Real Property Officers, and in coordination with other agency plans, policies, and activities;

(iv) monitoring the agency's performance and progress in implementing the Plan, and reporting the performance and progress to the CEQ Chair and the OMB Director, on such schedule and in such format as the Chair and the Director may require; and

(v) reporting annually to the head of the agency on the adequacy and effectiveness of the agency's Plan in implementing this order.

Sec. 8. Agency Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan. Each agency shall develop, implement, and annually update an integrated Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan that will prioritize agency actions based on lifecycle return on investment. Each agency Plan and update shall be subject to approval by the OMB Director under section 4 of this order. With respect to the period beginning in fiscal year 2011 and continuing through the end of fiscal year 2021, each agency Plan shall:

(a) include a policy statement committing the agency to compliance with environmental and energy statutes, regulations, and Executive Orders;

(b) achieve the sustainability goals and targets, including greenhouse gas reduction targets, established under section 2 of this order;

(c) be integrated into the agency's strategic planning and budget process, including the agency's strategic plan under section 3 of the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993, as amended (5 U.S.C. 306);

(d) identify agency activities, policies, plans, procedures, and practices that are relevant to the agency's implementation of this order, and where necessary, provide for development and implementation of new or revised policies, plans, procedures, and practices;

(e) identify specific agency goals, a schedule, milestones, and approaches for achieving results, and quantifiable metrics for agency implementation of this order;

(f) take into consideration environmental measures as well as economic and social benefits and costs in evaluating projects and activities based on lifecycle return on investment;

(g) outline planned actions to provide information about agency progress and performance with respect to achieving the goals of this order on a publicly available Federal website;

(h) incorporate actions for achieving progress metrics identified by the OMB Director and the CEQ Chair;

(i) evaluate agency climate-change risks and vulnerabilities to manage the effects of climate change on the agency's operations and mission in both the short and long term; and

(j) identify in annual updates opportunities for improvement and evaluation of past performance in order to extend or expand projects that have net lifecycle benefits, and reassess or discontinue under-performing projects.

Sec. 9. Recommendations for Greenhouse Gas Accounting and Reporting. The Department of Energy, through its Federal Energy Management Program, and in coordination with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Defense, the General Services Administration, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Commerce, and other agencies as appropriate, shall:

(a) within 180 days of the date of this order develop and provide to the CEQ Chair recommended Federal greenhouse gas reporting and accounting procedures for agencies to use in carrying out their obligations under subsections 2(a), (b), and (c) of this order, including procedures that will ensure that agencies:

(i) accurately and consistently quantify and account for greenhouse gas emissions from all scope 1, 2, and 3 sources, using accepted greenhouse gas accounting and reporting principles, and identify appropriate opportunities to revise the fiscal year 2008 baseline to address significant changes in factors affecting agency emissions such as reorganization and improvements in accuracy of data collection and estimation procedures or other major changes that would otherwise render the initial baseline information unsuitable;

(iii) consider and account for sequestration and emissions of greenhouse gases resulting from Federal land management practices;

(b) within 1 year of the date of this order, to ensure consistent and accurate reporting under this section, provide electronic accounting and reporting capability for the Federal greenhouse gas reporting procedures developed under subsection (a) of this section, and to the extent practicable, ensure compatibility between this capability and existing Federal agency reporting systems; and

(c) every 3 years from the date of the CEQ Chair's issuance of the initial version of the reporting guidance, and as otherwise necessary, develop and provide recommendations to the CEQ Chair for revised Federal greenhouse gas reporting procedures for agencies to use in implementing subsections 2(a), (b), and (c) of this order.

Sec. 10. Recommendations for Sustainable Locations for Federal Facilities. Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Department of Transportation, in accordance with its Sustainable Partnership Agreement with the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Environmental Protection Agency, and in coordination with the General Services Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, and other agencies as appropriate, shall:

(a) review existing policies and practices associated with site selection for Federal facilities; and

(b) provide recommendations to the CEQ Chair regarding sustainable location strategies for consideration in Sustainability Plans. The recommendations shall be consistent with principles of sustainable development including prioritizing central business district and rural town center locations, prioritizing sites well served by transit, including site design elements that ensure safe and convenient pedestrian access, consideration of transit access and proximity to housing affordable to a wide range of Federal employees, adaptive reuse or renovation of buildings, avoidance of development of sensitive land resources, and evaluation of parking management strategies.

Sec. 11. Recommendations for Federal Local Transportation Logistics. Within 180 days of the date of this order, the General Services Administration, in coordination with the Department of Transportation, the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Energy, the Office of Personnel Management, and other agencies as appropriate, shall review current policies and practices associated with use of public transportation by Federal personnel, Federal shuttle bus and vehicle transportation routes supported by multiple Federal agencies, and use of alternative fuel vehicles in Federal shuttle bus fleets, and shall provide recommendations to the CEQ Chair on how these policies and practices could be revised to support the implementation of this order and the achievement of its policies and goals.

Sec. 12. Guidance for Federal Fleet Management. Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Department of Energy, in coordination with the General Services Administration, shall issue guidance on Federal fleet management that addresses the acquisition of alternative fuel vehicles and use of alternative fuels; the use of biodiesel blends in diesel vehicles; the acquisition of electric vehicles for appropriate functions; improvement of fleet fuel economy; the optimizing of fleets to the agency mission; petroleum reduction strategies, such as the acquisition of low greenhouse gas emitting vehicles and the reduction of vehicle miles traveled; and the installation of renewable fuel pumps at Federal fleet fueling centers.

Sec. 13. Recommendations for Vendor and Contractor Emissions. Within 180 days of the date of this order, the General Services Administration, in coordination with the Department of Defense, the Environmental Protection Agency, and other agencies as appropriate, shall review and provide recommendations to the CEQ Chair and the Administrator of OMB's Office of Federal Procurement Policy regarding the feasibility of working with the Federal vendor and contractor community to provide information that will assist Federal agencies in tracking and reducing scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions related to the supply of products and services to the Government. These recommendations should consider the potential impacts on the procurement process, and the Federal vendor and contractor community including small businesses and other socioeconomic procurement programs. Recommendations should also explore the feasibility of:

(a) requiring vendors and contractors to register with a voluntary registry or organization for reporting greenhouse gas emissions;

(b) requiring contractors, as part of a new or revised registration under the Central Contractor Registration or other tracking system, to develop and make available its greenhouse gas inventory and description of efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions;

(c) using Federal Government purchasing preferences or other incentives for products manufactured using processes that minimize greenhouse gas emissions; and

Sec. 14. Stormwater Guidance for Federal Facilities. Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Environmental Protection Agency, in coordination with other Federal agencies as appropriate, shall issue guidance on the implementation of section 438 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17094).

Sec. 15. Regional Coordination. Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Federal Environmental Executive shall develop and implement a regional implementation plan to support the goals of this order taking into account energy and environmental priorities of particular regions of the United States.

Sec. 16. Agency Roles in Support of Federal Adaptation Strategy. In addition to other roles and responsibilities of agencies with respect to environmental leadership as specified in this order, the agencies shall participate actively in the interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force, which is already engaged in developing the domestic and international dimensions of a U.S. strategy for adaptation to climate change, and shall develop approaches through which the policies and practices of the agencies can be made compatible with and reinforce that strategy. Within 1 year of the date of this order the CEQ Chair shall provide to the President, following consultation with the agencies and the Climate Change Adaptation Task Force, as appropriate, a progress report on agency actions in support of the national adaptation strategy and recommendations for any further such measures as the CEQ Chair may deem necessary.

Sec. 17. Limitations. (a) This order shall apply to an agency with respect to the activities, personnel, resources, and facilities of the agency that are located within the United States. The head of an agency may provide that this order shall apply in whole or in part with respect to the activities, personnel, resources, and facilities of the agency that are not located within the United States, if the head of the agency determines that such application is in the interest of the United States.

(b) The head of an agency shall manage activities, personnel, resources, and facilities of the agency that are not located within the United States, and with respect to which the head of the agency has not made a determination under subsection (a) of this section, in a manner consistent with the policy set forth in section 1 of this order to the extent the head of the agency determines practicable.

Sec. 18. Exemption Authority.

(a) The Director of National Intelligence may exempt an intelligence activity of the United States, and related personnel, resources, and facilities, from the provisions of this order, other than this subsection and section 20, to the extent the Director determines necessary to protect intelligence sources and methods from unauthorized disclosure.

(b) The head of an agency may exempt law enforcement activities of that agency, and related personnel, resources, and facilities, from the provisions of this order, other than this subsection and section 20, to the extent the head of an agency determines necessary to protect undercover operations from unauthorized disclosure.

(c) (i) The head of an agency may exempt law enforcement, protective, emergency response, or military tactical vehicle fleets of that agency from the provisions of this order, other than this subsection and section 20.

(ii) Heads of agencies shall manage fleets to which paragraph (i) of this subsection refers in a manner consistent with the policy set forth in section 1 of this order to the extent they determine practicable.

(d) The head of an agency may exempt particular agency activities and facilities from the provisions of this order, other than this subsection and section 20, where it is in the interest of national security. If the head of an agency issues an exemption under this section, the agency must notify the CEQ Chair in writing within 30 days of issuance of the exemption under this subsection. To the maximum extent practicable, and without compromising national security, each agency shall strive to comply with the purposes, goals, and implementation steps in this order.

(e) The head of an agency may submit to the President, through the CEQ Chair, a request for an exemption of an agency activity, and related personnel, resources, and facilities, from this order.

Sec. 19. Definitions. As used in this order:

(a) "absolute greenhouse gas emissions" means total greenhouse gas emissions without normalization for activity levels and includes any allowable consideration of sequestration;

(b) "agency" means an executive agency as defined in section 105 of title 5, United States Code, excluding the Government Accountability Office;

(d) "construction and demolition materials and debris" means materials and debris generated during construction, renovation, demolition, or dismantling of all structures and buildings and associated infrastructure;

(e) "divert" and "diverting" means redirecting materials that might otherwise be placed in the waste stream to recycling or recovery, excluding diversion to waste-to-energy facilities;

(i) scope 1: direct greenhouse gas emissions from sources that are owned or controlled by the Federal agency;

(ii) scope 2: direct greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the generation of electricity, heat, or steam purchased by a Federal agency; and

(iii) scope 3: greenhouse gas emissions from sources not owned or directly controlled by a Federal agency but related to agency activities such as vendor supply chains, delivery services, and employee travel and commuting;

(l) "sustainability" and "sustainable" mean to create and maintain conditions, under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic, and other requirements of present and future generations;

(m) "United States" means the fifty States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and associated territorial waters and airspace;

(n) "water consumption intensity" means water consumption per square foot of building space; and

(o) "zero-net-energy building" means a building that is designed, constructed, and operated to require a greatly reduced quantity of energy to operate, meet the balance of energy needs from sources of energy that do not produce greenhouse gases, and therefore result in no net emissions of greenhouse gases and be economically viable.

Sec. 20. General Provisions.

(a) This order shall be implemented in a manner consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(b) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect the functions of the OMB Director relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(c) This order is intended only to improve the internal management of the Federal Government and is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

BARACK OBAMA

The White House,

October 5, 2009.

BARACK OBAMA

THE WHITE HOUSE, October 5, 2009.

Citation:Barack Obama: "Executive Order 13514—Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance", October 5, 2009. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=86728.